Ash ejector for pipes



March 22, 1966 c WALTERS 3,241,559

ASH EJEGTOR FOR PIPES Filed March 4, 1964 \lili INVENTOR. MFA/EMS C. ML TEES.

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United States Patent H 3,241,559 ASH EJECTOR FOR PIPES Klemens C. Walters, RD. 1, Box 318, Logan Road,

Gibsonia, Pa.

Filed Mar. 4, 1964, Ser. No. 349,276 6 Claims. (Cl. 131-183) This invention relates to smoking pipes, and more particularly to an ejector which removes tobacco ashes from the bowl of a smoking pipe.

Heretofore, a number of devices for removal of ashes from pipes were detachable from the pipe in order to get the ashes out of the pipe bowl. Such devices were unsatisfactory because they tended to become covered with residues from the burnt tobacco, thereby requiring frequent cleanings, and to be damaged and even lost when separated from the pipe. Additionally, after repeated removals from the pipe, problems were encountered in properly and easily filing them back into their place in the pipe.

Other ash ejectors previously in use, While attached t the pipe, had parts positioned on or connected to the outside of the pipe, thereby rendering it somewhat unattracLive. Furthermore, these attached ejectors occasionally snagged or caught a. persons clothing when the pipe was inserted into or removed from a pocket.

My invention in an ejector for tobacco ashes avoids the shortcomings of the foregoing devices, since it is fully en closed within the pipe and does not require separation from the pipe to remove the ashes. Specifically, my invention resides in a smoking pipe and comprises a bowl in smoke-flow communication with the stem of the pipe. This how] has a central'bore which holds the tobacco and which has an opening at the top of the bowl for insertion of tobacco. The bowl also includes'an upper part and a lower part with the upper part severed from and rejoined with the lower part and each part providing adjacent portions of the bore. The lower part is afiixed to the stem and the upper part has a rotatable mounting upon and a connection to the lower part. Disposed in the lower part is a helical spring which extends upwardly towards the opening and a disk-like member is joined at the top of the spring and has at least one hole extending therethrough. This disk-like member forms a bottom support for tobacco in the bowl. An arm carried by the upper part is rotatable therewith and is disposed below the disk member. This arm has a portion in engagement with a part of a coil of the spring so that upon rotation of the upper part and its arm in one direction, the spring advances the disk member towards the top of the bowl, and upon rotation of the upper part and the arm in the opposite direction, the spring is compressed in the lower part and the disk member is withdrawn towards the bottom of the bowl.

Preferably the arm member extends diametrically across the bore of the bowl and the spring is of such a size that upon rotation of the upper part in one direction, the spring acted upon by the arm member advances the disk member to substantially the top opening of the bowl, and upon rotation in the opposite direction, the disk is lowered to adjacent the arm member.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation view partly in section of a pipe with my invention and with a disk which is the bottom support for tobacco in the pipe in a lowered position;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the pipe of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a section view along the line III-III of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a partial side elevation view in section Patented Mar. 22, 1966 and similar to FIGURE 1, but with the disk in a raised posiiion.

Referring to FIGURE 1, a pipe 1 includes a bowl 2 with a bore 3 therein which holds a supply of tobacco and which has an opening 4 at the top of the bowl. Joined to this bowl is a stem 5 through which extends a passageway 6 having an opening 7 into a lower part 8 of the bowl 2 for the flow of smoke from the bowl through the stem to a smoker. As shown in FIGURES 1 and 4, the bowl 2 comprises an upper part 9 separate from and rejoined with the lower part 8, but rotatably mounted upon the upper surface 10 of the lower part 8 and connected thereto. Each of the upper and lower parts of the bowl provides a portion of the bore of the bowl.

Affixed to the bottom of the bore in the lower part of the bowl 2 by a bolt 11 and nut 12 is a cup 13 which extends upwardly to the top of the lower part 8 and there has an outwardly projecting horizontal flange 14. For ease in assembly of the cup of the pipe, the nut is affixed to the bottom of the cup. Disposed beneath this flange and joined to the bottom side 15 of the upper part 9 by screws 16 is a ring or washer 17 which seats upon the top surface 10 of the lower part 8. This cup and the ring, together with their arrangement, form a rotatable mounting of the upper part upon the lower part and a connection of the upper part to the lower part, whereby the upper part is not detachable from the lower part.

Located in the cup 13 is a helical spring 18 whose lowermost coil 19 is welded to the bottom thereof. This spring extends toward the opening 4 of the bore and carries at its top a horizontal plate-like disk 20 which has a plurality of perforations 21 therethrough. The disk is the bottom support for tobacco in the bowl and its periphery in spaced a small amount from the inside walls 22 of the bowl so that it has clearance therebetween when it is moved axially in the bowl to eject ashes from the pipe. This clearance can be such that a cake of burnt tobacco may build up in the bore on the walls of the bowl without obstructing axial movement of the disk.

To avoid removal of all of the cake, the disk can be made from a flexible material, such as a thin metal, so that in axial movement in the bore, the peripheral portion of the disk yields and/ or bends away from the walls of the bowl and thereby leaves at least a part of the cake.

The spring is of such size that it is expansible to and can advance the disk 20 towards the top of the bowl as shown in FIGURE 4 and it also is compressible to the position of FIGURE 1 where the disk 20 is at the lower section of the upper part 9 of the bowl 2 when the pipe is filled with tobacco.

Disposed beneath the disk 20 is an arm 23 which extends diametrically across the bore and has its ends afiixed to the upper part 9 so that the arm rotates therewith. The arm projects transversely through the spring 18 and has a portion in engagement with a part of a coil of the helical spring, and as shown in FIGURE 1, the portion contacts an upper and a lower side of one of the top coils 24 of the spring. Accordingly, as the upper part 9 of the bowl 2 is turned in one direction about its mounting, the arm 23 also turns and contacts progressive parts of the coil 24 and of succeeding coils therebeneath and thereby permits the spring to expand and push up past the arm 23 to advance the disk 20 to the top of the bowl for removal of ashes. Upon turning the upper part 9 in the opposite direction, the arm 20, in engagement with successive parts of the coils of the helical spring 18, compresses the spring in the cup and brings the disk down to a position closely adjacent to the top side of the arm 23 as shown in FIG- URE 1. In the position of FIGURE 1, the bowl is ready for filling with tobacco.

The perforations 21 through the disk 2'0 allow smoke to be drawn therethrough down into the cup 13 and thence through the passageway 6 to the smoker.

My invention has important advantages which render it advantageous to pipe smokers, for it avoids necessity for banging and striking the bowl against hard objects to remove ashes. Additionally, this ash ejector is wholly contained within the bowl and is not detachable therefrom. Furthermore, it has no exterior projections or attachments which detract from appearance and have a tendency to snag clothing.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a smoking pipe having a stem, the invention comprising a bowl in smoke-flow communication with said stem, said bowl having a central bore which holds tobacco and which has an opening at the top of said bowl, said bowl including an upper part and a lower part with said upper part being separate from and in abutting relation with said lower part and each part providing a portion of said bore, said lower part being affixed to said stem, said upper part having a rotatable mounting upon and a connection to said lower part, a helical spring disposed in said lower part and extending upwardly toward said opening, a disk-like member aflixed to the top of said spring and having at least one hole extending therethrough, said disk-like member forming a bottom support for tobacco in said bowl, an arm member carried by said upper part, being immovable with respect thereto, and being disposed below said disk member, said arm member having a portion in engagement with a part of said spring intermediate the ends thereof so that upon rotation of said upper part and its arm in one direction, said spring advances said disk member towards the top of said bowl, and upon rotation of said upper part and the arm in the opposite direction, said spring is compressed and said disk member is withdrawn toward said lower part.

2. The invention of claim 1 characterized by said arm 4 member extending substantially diametrically across said central bore of said bowl and transversely throughsaid spring.

3. The invention of claim 1 characterized by said spring being of such a size that rotation of said upper part in said one direction advances said disk member to substantially the top opening of said bowl.

4. The invention of claim 1 characterized by a ring afiixed to the underside of said upper part and disposed for engagement with the top surface of said lower part, a cup member fitting into the central bore of said lower part of said bowl and being connected to said lower part, said spring being positioned inside said cup member, said cup member having an overhanging outwardly projecting flange at its top, said flange extending over a portion of said ring to form with said ring said rotatable mounting and connecion of said upper part upon and to said lower part.

5. The invention of claim 4 characterized by said arm member extending substantially diametrically across said central "bore of said bowl and transversely through said spring.

6. The invention of claim 4 characterized by said spring being of such a size that rotation of said upper part in said one direction advances said disk member to subsantially said top opening of said bowl.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 273,294 3/1883 Loveless 131-181 720,232 2/ 1903 Davidson 131182 FOREIGN PATENTS 104,958 3/1917 Great Britain.

282,810 9/1952 Switzerland.

SAMUEL KOREN, Primary Examiner.

JOSEPH S. REICH, Examiner. 

1. IN A SMOKING PIPE HAVING A STEM, THE INVENTION COMPRISING A BOWL IN SMOKE-FLOW COMMUNICATION WITH SAID STEM, SAID BOWL HAVING A CENTRAL BORE WHICH HOLDS TOBACCO AND WHICH HAS AN OPENING AT THE TOP OF SAID BOWL, SAID BOWL INCLUDING AN UPPER PART AND A LOWER PART WITH SAID UPPER PART BEING SEPARATE FROM AND IN ABUTING RELATION WITH SAID LOWER PART AND EACH PART PROVIDING A PORTION OF SAIDBORE, SAID LOWER PART BEING AFFIXED TO SAID STEM, SAID UPPER PART HAVING A ROTATABLE MOUNTING UPON AND A CONNECTION TO SAID LOWER PART, A HELICAL SPRING DISPOSED IN SAID LOWER PART AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY TOWARD SAID OPENING, A DISK-LIKE MEMBER AFFIXED TO THE TOP OF SAID SPRING AND HAVING AT LEAST ONE HOLE EXTENDING THERETHROUGH, SAID DISK-LIKE MEMBER FORMING A BOTTOM SUPPORT FOR TOBACCO IN SAID BOWL, AN ARM MEMBER CARRIED BY SAID UPPER PART, BEING IMMOVABLE WITH RESPECT THERETO, AND BEING DISPOSED BELOW SAID DISK MEMBER, SAID ARM MEMBER HAVING A PORTION IN ENGAGEMENT WITH A PART OF SAID SPRING INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF SO THAT UPON ROTATION OF SAID UPPER PART AND ITS ARM IN ONE DIRECTION, SAID SPRING ADVANCES SAID DISK MEMBER TOWARDS THE TOP OF SAID BOWL, AND UPON ROTATION OF SAID UPPER PART AND THE ARM IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, SAID SPRING IS COMPRESSED AND SAID DISK MEMBER IS WITHDRAWN TOWARD SAID LOWER PART. 